Preachers pester Mall crowds

Robert Henry Becker Arizona Daily Wildcat Jed Smock (left) admonishes media arts freshman David DeLuca's dissent against Smock's religious and moral conservatism on the UA Mall yesterday. Smock is one of several ecumenical preachers on the UA Mall this week who have attracted police and administrators because of their confrontational style.

Jed and Cindy Smock and "Pat" from Campus Ministry USA have devoted five hours a day since Monday preaching their Christianity - inspired messages to crowds of up to 300 people.

Pat said she would not give her last name because she has children who are professors at other universities.

Their messages, which include verbal attacks on different religions and sexual preferences, have provoked some listeners to take matters into their own hands, said Officer Don Buotte of the University of Arizona Police Department. He was at the scene Tuesday afternoon.

"One person got in the woman's (Pat's) face yelling and screaming," he said. "Others were yelling profanity that I do not even want to repeat."

Buotte said he was surveying the area to make sure everyone was safe and did not break the law.

Touching another person without consent could be a minor assault, he said.

"I don't want to see anyone go to jail," Buotte said. "It's really not worth getting to that point."

Tucson resident Tom Ahee, 33, said he was walking his dog on the Mall when Pat told him he was Satan because he is Muslim and had a black dog.

"She told the crowd I was evil and I hate America because I am a Muslim," he said. "Then she enticed the crowd to come after me."

Giving the dog to a friend, Ahee said he "got in her face" and confronted her.

"Free speech is fine, but I will not let these people talk about bodily harm," he said. "If they touched me, you bet I would resort to violence."

Ahee said Associate Dean of Students Alexis Hernandez, who was called to the Mall because of the commotion, pulled him off Pat while police told him to calm down.

Hernandez, who was on the Mall for about an hour, said he was asked to watch the scene because someone tried to steal a Bible.

He said he would not classify the disruption as "violent."

"It's not like someone slugged somebody," Hernandez said. "Tempers can flare and I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Hernandez said most of the students were being respectful.

"People in the group watching will step forward and tell others to back off," he said. "The crowds are self-regulating."

Pat said she speaks to the crowds to get students interested in reading the Bible.

"They're going to die some day and they have either heaven or hell ahead of them," Pat said. "They have to go through Jesus Christ.

"The biggest problem with kids today is that they are full of lust," she said. "They think it is OK to be homosexual and masturbate."

This is Pat's third visit to the UA, which is one of the 700 campuses Campus Ministry USA has visited since 1972.

Aerospace engineering freshman Geoff Hill, who was sitting in front of the preachers, said Jed Smock singled him out because he was wearing a cross on a necklace. He said Smock asked him if he was a sinner.

"I told him that everyone sinned, and I asked him who he was to judge," Hill said. "He said he was a perfect servant of God, and that only perfect servants could judge."

Although Hill said he wishes the preachers would focus more on God's good news, he was glad they were voicing their opinions.

"The whole idea of the Speaker's Corner is to speak what is on your mind," Hernandez said. "It is important to put forth logic so others can examine it."

He said he wants people to hear the speakers' messages, but there is a line they should not cross.

"I feel he (Smock) has every right to say what he wants," Kenne Adams, music education junior, said. "But he called every woman on this campus a whore."

He said the students looked upon the preachers as entertainment. "It's like Jerry Springer," Adams said, referring to the tabloid talk show.

Lt. Brian Seastone, UAPD spokesman, said the police did not want to interfere with the preachers' First Amendment rights.

He said one or two police officers are in the area each day to respond with necessary action if it is required.